The present aspects relate to a steering alignment fixture, and more specifically, to a steering alignment fixture for the landing gear of an aircraft.
Many modern aircraft use a tricycle landing gear arrangement, meaning that a steerable nose landing gear is arranged proximate to the nose of the aircraft and main landing gear (which are designed to contact the ground first when the aircraft lands) are located aft relative to the nose landing gear. The nose landing gear is steerable so that the pilots can guide the aircraft along runways, taxiways, and parking aprons. It is important that the steerable nose landing gear is centered when the pilots steering inputs (rudder pedals) are centered. Otherwise, when the steerable nose landing gear touches the ground upon landing, the aircraft may unexpectedly veer to the left or the right. In many instances, aircraft manufacturers and/or aircraft operators (e.g. airlines) require a particular alignment tolerance to avoid such unexpected veering upon landing. For example, certain manufacturers and/or operators may require the steerable nose landing gear to be aligned within 3° of center. If the alignment is more than 3° from center, then the aircraft could be removed from service so that the steering mechanism can be realigned.